Team Profile
Mark O’Rourke is an Educational Advisor with the Curriculum Innovation Unit at Victoria University. He received the Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA) Innovation Award 2009 to research how to enhance VET outcomes through immersive learning environments. He was also awarded the 2007 Fulbright Professional Scholarship to research immersive training environments at USC in Los Angeles and has initiated and managed flexible delivery projects in teaching and learning using new technologies across Victoria University and in the wider community.
Dr Stefan Schutt is an award-winning researcher and educator whose specialty is new technology and young people. He works in the Work-based Education Research Centre at Victoria University. Stefan runs a range of virtual world, mobile phone and web technology projects for VU. He is the co-founder of a technology club pilot for young people with Aspergers Syndrome, and chief investigator for VU's involvement in an Inspire Foundation-led Cooperative Research Centre in young people, technology and wellbeing.
Dale Linegar is Director of Oztron Media and has been involved in creating digital learning environments for five years with a range of clients in higher education and the corporate world. Oztron Media has built a wide range of systems which allow the rapid deployment and implementation of 3 dimensional online learning environments.
What is the problem or opportunity you are addressing in this project?
The Project will develop and evaluate an innovative customised games-based learning tool that addresses particular pedagogical requirements in industry by offering alternative strategies for content delivery. The Project addresses curriculum material for the unit of study “CPCCOHS1001A Work safely in the construction industry” which is the assessment requirement for White Card certification. This certification has been selected because competency in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is fundamental to the successful sustainability of the construction workforce, however, allowing trainees to gain real world experience onsite presents industry and training institutes with resource and logistic difficulties, while exposing personnel to potential risk.
Focusing on the design and development of immersive educational environments and assessment of the optimal level of interactivity and game play necessary to achieve identified learning outcomes, the project is a collaboration between the Curriculum Innovation Unit, the Work-based Education Research Centre and the Faculty of Technical and Trade Innovation at Victoria University in Melbourne.
Who are the learners and how will they benefit from this project?
Games allow for a mode of delivery that engages the learner and presents an alternative to traditional pedagogy because:
• Games are a medium that young learners are likely to be highly literate in and responsive to, even when disengaged with other social or learning structures.
• Vocational games are an effective means of assisting groups who have low levels of traditional literacy skills due to non-English speaking backgrounds or other socio-cultural considerations.
• VET learners have chosen practically-orientated training and are often disengaged when delivery has a substantial written, non-practical component.
Computer-based simulator games are well suited to delivering this training because the interactive game environment engages participants by making them active agents in the learning experience, and offers a virtual reality that supplies rewards and builds expertise, yet provides a safe place in which to learn and explore. Games–based training is also an effective means of assisting groups with low levels of traditional literacy skills.
How are you currently delivering this training? (ie prior to the project)
This training is commonly delivered through a lecture style presentation by powerpoint which can be disengaging causing a lack of retention or transfer, especially by the kinds of students who prefer experiential modes of learning (typically young males).
How will your project demonstrate the power of broadband to enhance outcomes for learners?
The project will be able to demonstrate the power of broadband to enhance outcomes for learners by enabling delivery on a number of platforms:
online in regional or remote locations via a web browser and NBN connectivity
via downloadable file to computers over high-speed Internet
on smart phone or tablet devices connected to high-speed Internet
The training game can be delivered to regional and remote locations, including construction workers building infrastructure to meet the demands of the resources boom. The NBN roll out means it is now theoretically possible to deliver customised responsive training anywhere in Australia, reducing the need for people to move from where they live and work to gain qualifications.
In addition by enabling asynchronous learning in the workplace or networked synchronous training in 3D immersive environments games-based training technology has the capacity to meet mass global training needs, thereby providing a significant commercial opportunity for Australia’s educational industry to be involved in meeting future global training needs.
Key words
games-based learning, immersive training, virtual reality, 3D environment, OHS
Monthly Project Update
Date
Project Update
January 2012
Planning & project management :
Analyse the training domainSchedule meetings
Sourcing equipment/loading software
Liaison with Faculty staff
Assessment evidence/skill levels alignment with game goals
February 2012
Development:
Modeling of the workplace environment is almost complete
All 3D character animations have been completed
Emergency response programming is currently being undertaken.
Ongoing consultation with content experts and teachers.
Planning and development to optimise integration of content delivery with gameplay being addressed.
March 2012
Development
Lead staff from VU School of Construction have been consulted. Their input and advice on the hazards has helped ensure our plans will meet industry standards.
Work continues on finer details, animations, cut scenes, and several of our 'non-hazards.'
A basic interface has been agreed upon, work is underway implementing this.
The character selection screens have been completed.
April 2012
Development
Finalising programming.
Modelling and animations completed
Interface implemented.
User data and feedback mechanisms being finalised, database programming and server configuration being undertaken.
May 2012
Completion of game and user testing.
Tweaking of scenarios, hazards and death sequences
Playability testing
Checking with content experts about authenticity of workplace scenarios
Finalised branding
Completed data collection system
Organised live trial with student cohort for early June
June 2012
Completion of game and trials of students undertaken at Newport Campus of VU.
Game available for download at http://www.whitecardgame.com.au.
PROJECT CASE STUDY
Team Profile
Mark O’Rourke is an Educational Advisor with the Curriculum Innovation Unit at Victoria University. He received the Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA) Innovation Award 2009 to research how to enhance VET outcomes through immersive learning environments. He was also awarded the 2007 Fulbright Professional Scholarship to research immersive training environments at USC in Los Angeles and has initiated and managed flexible delivery projects in teaching and learning using new technologies across Victoria University and in the wider community.
Dr Stefan Schutt is an award-winning researcher and educator whose specialty is new technology and young people. He works in the Work-based Education Research Centre at Victoria University. Stefan runs a range of virtual world, mobile phone and web technology projects for VU. He is the co-founder of a technology club pilot for young people with Aspergers Syndrome, and chief investigator for VU's involvement in an Inspire Foundation-led Cooperative Research Centre in young people, technology and wellbeing.
Dale Linegar is Director of Oztron Media and has been involved in creating digital learning environments for five years with a range of clients in higher education and the corporate world. Oztron Media has built a wide range of systems which allow the rapid deployment and implementation of 3 dimensional online learning environments.
Project Name:
Taking Safety Seriously Through Computer Gameplay
Public Contact Details
Mark O'Rourke
Project Manager
Email: mark.orourke@vu.edu.au
Phone: 0400 660 224
Project Profile:
What is the problem or opportunity you are addressing in this project?
The Project will develop and evaluate an innovative customised games-based learning tool that addresses particular pedagogical requirements in industry by offering alternative strategies for content delivery. The Project addresses curriculum material for the unit of study “CPCCOHS1001A Work safely in the construction industry” which is the assessment requirement for White Card certification. This certification has been selected because competency in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is fundamental to the successful sustainability of the construction workforce, however, allowing trainees to gain real world experience onsite presents industry and training institutes with resource and logistic difficulties, while exposing personnel to potential risk.Focusing on the design and development of immersive educational environments and assessment of the optimal level of interactivity and game play necessary to achieve identified learning outcomes, the project is a collaboration between the Curriculum Innovation Unit, the Work-based Education Research Centre and the Faculty of Technical and Trade Innovation at Victoria University in Melbourne.
Who are the learners and how will they benefit from this project?
Games allow for a mode of delivery that engages the learner and presents an alternative to traditional pedagogy because:
• Games are a medium that young learners are likely to be highly literate in and responsive to, even when disengaged with other social or learning structures.
• Vocational games are an effective means of assisting groups who have low levels of traditional literacy skills due to non-English speaking backgrounds or other socio-cultural considerations.
• VET learners have chosen practically-orientated training and are often disengaged when delivery has a substantial written, non-practical component.
Computer-based simulator games are well suited to delivering this training because the interactive game environment engages participants by making them active agents in the learning experience, and offers a virtual reality that supplies rewards and builds expertise, yet provides a safe place in which to learn and explore. Games–based training is also an effective means of assisting groups with low levels of traditional literacy skills.
How are you currently delivering this training? (ie prior to the project)
This training is commonly delivered through a lecture style presentation by powerpoint which can be disengaging causing a lack of retention or transfer, especially by the kinds of students who prefer experiential modes of learning (typically young males).
How will your project demonstrate the power of broadband to enhance outcomes for learners?
The project will be able to demonstrate the power of broadband to enhance outcomes for learners by enabling delivery on a number of platforms:
The training game can be delivered to regional and remote locations, including construction workers building infrastructure to meet the demands of the resources boom. The NBN roll out means it is now theoretically possible to deliver customised responsive training anywhere in Australia, reducing the need for people to move from where they live and work to gain qualifications.
In addition by enabling asynchronous learning in the workplace or networked synchronous training in 3D immersive environments games-based training technology has the capacity to meet mass global training needs, thereby providing a significant commercial opportunity for Australia’s educational industry to be involved in meeting future global training needs.
Key words
games-based learning, immersive training, virtual reality, 3D environment, OHS
Monthly Project Update
Completion of game and trials of students undertaken at Newport Campus of VU.
Game available for download at http://www.whitecardgame.com.au.